Fire-kindler



J. 11.3mm. FIRE KINDLBR.

Patented July 4,- 1882.

Z No. 260,729.

UNITED STATES PATENT Grates.

JAMES H. DAVIS, OF YPSILANTI, MICHIGAN.

FIRE-KINDLE'R.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 260,729, dated July 4, 1882.

Application filed April 29, 1882. (No specimens.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMES H. DAVIS, of Ypsilanti, in the county of Washtenaw and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Kindlers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,and to the letters of reference markedthereon, which form part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a diametrical section through a corn-cob having a wood plug in one end and a wick secured thereto. Fig. 2 is a similar view, indicating the inflammable coating. Fig.3 is a horizontal section in the line or w on Figs. 1 and 2. This invention relates to what are denominated corn-cob fire-kindlers; and my object is to improve kindlers of this kind, first, by inserting in one end of a corn-cob a wooden plug which is adapted to receive and hold firmly in place a wick; second, in the employment of a compound of inflammable materials in combination with a corn-cob and a wick which is confined in the end of the cob by means of a wooden plug or wedge; third, in the combination of a corn-cob which is saturated or coated with inflammable material, a wooden or other inflammable wedge or core, and a flexible wick which is prepared with inflammable material, as will be hereinafter explained.

The following description will enable others skilled in the art to understand my invention.

The letter A designates a section of a corncob; B, the pith.

O designates a plug or wedge, which may be made of wood or other absorbent material, which is sufficiently rigid to perform the following offices: This plug is recessed ator near its upper end, as indicated at E, and thus adapted to receive a wick, D, and to confine the same in place in the end of the cob A. This plug is preferably saturated with rosin or other inflammable material which will readily hold fire and communicate the fire to the body of the cob. The plug 0 is sufficiently rigid to prevent the cracking of the rosin or other inflammable material with which the cob A is coated.

The wick D is made of any suitable loose fibers, and it is preferably saturated with a hydrocarbon,and, if desired, coated so that it will readily take fire from a flame.

Beneath the plug 0, I may fill the space left below the pith B with a core, G, of rosin or other suitable inflammable'substance, and at the lower end of the cob I apply a cap'or closing end,F, of rosin or other suitable inflammable substance.

The fire-kindler thus described is coated with any suitable inflammable substance, (indicated by letter a,) and previous to this coating the cob is soaked in naphtha or some other light product of petroleum, which is prevented from evaporating by the application of a suitable varnish, (indicated by the letter 1).) Sometimes I use the rosin on the outside of the varnish.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. A corn-cob kindler consisting of the cobsection A, the rigid plug 0, driven into one end thereof, and the flexible wick secured in its place by said plug, substantially in the manner and for the purposes described.

2. A corn-cob kindler consisting of a corncob section saturated with inflammable material, a plug, 0, of rigid material, also saturated with inflammablematerial, and a wick which is held in place by said plug, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a corn-cob, a rigid wooden plug, a wick, a core,Gr, and an inflammable closing end, F, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. The new article of manufacture, to wit: a corn-cob saturated and coated with a product of petroleum and covered with a varnish which will prevent the evaporation of the petroleum, in combination with a wick and a plug for securing the wick in its place, sub stantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES H. DAVIS.

Witnesses E. P. ALLEN, THOMAS KISSANE. 

